January 1704 (7)
= La Gloire du Roi - January 1704 = Weather this month *Seasonal freezing occurs. *Storms in the Pacific. Events Of Importte Pertaining To Recent Matters Dresden *Saxony's Army of Relief sent foward a regiment of 600 hussars to raid the siege lines of the Imperialists before Dresden. However they found themselves opposed by three times their own number of Austrian hussars, but these proved to be on mounts which were in such bad condition that the Saxons ended up defeating them and chasing them into the siege camp! This caused abject confusion and disrupted any attempt to actively prosecute the siege against the city. The Saxons, in great spirits then retired to their own camp to the cheers of their fellow soldiers! Their return was watched closely by the 26 cuirassier squadrons of the Reichsarmee of the Eastern Circle which rode up close to the Saxon army and forced it to deploy to face them off rather than give any more attention to the besieger's lines. However, the Imperial cuirassiers did not close or give battle. *The 6th Imperial Army has positioned itself to screen the siege of Dresden from the Prussian army to the north. *An Austrian envoy has informed Prince Frederick of Saxony that he will be allowed to leave Dresden if he so wishes in order to attend to his diplomatic duties. Paris *King James II of Britain-in-exile has categorically denied that either he or his ministers have granted Letters of Marque to the notorious pirate Blackbeard. *40,000 French troops of the Armee du Nord have marched out from Paris en route for Calais. Cologne *Archbishop Prince Joseph Clemens von Wittelsbach of Liege-Cologne has revealed that next month he shall be going to Munich to meet His Holiness the Pope and his brother the Prince of Bavaria. Stuttgart *Duke Eberhard Ludwig of Wurtemburg has revealed that he is greatly ill at ease having learnt that His Sacred Majesty the Holy Roman Emperor wishes him to lose his lands to the House of Bavaria. With this in mind, and while not wishing to add to the dissension within the Empire, he stresses how he is troubled and cannot exactly ride to war against those 'who also feel aggrieved by the Emperor's politics'. He confirmed that he does not wish to go to war with anyone, and is torn over what to do since he has nothing but respect for both the Emperor and the Prince of Bavaria. However, if he is forced to defend his lands he will throw his lot in with Saxony and Prussia if he is backed into a corner he is warning with much reluctance! He said this with much gravitas in front of Prince Maximillian of Bavaria himself, who had come to stay for a few days on a flying visit. After hearing this however the Prince of Bavaria departed and returned to his own court at Munich. Munich *Pope Clement XI has arrived in Munich as a guest of the Prince of Bavaria. *Francisco de Achegin Godinezis has ensured certain monies have reached the Bavarian Treasury as Spain's contribution 'to help the Elector uphold the Catholic faith in Germany against the Protestant rebels.' Kent *In an awful tragedy Miss Harriet Jones, known in some circles as 'an English rose', has drowned in a lake while staying at a country estate of a friend of Mrs Cooper in the county of Kent. London *Mister Grenville de Coursey has been imprisoned as a debtor in Newgate Gaol. *In a singularly unpatriotic development Tompion & Barlow Watchmakers of London are sending all their watches to Cartier of Paris at a price of 75 guineas per piece (a price increase of approximately 50%, it is believed). *Although thwarted in attempts to bring forward a private member's bill on the matter the Earl of Pembroke has petitioned the Lord Treasurer of England the Duke of Ormonde, asking him to ban French and Jacobite trade and allow port authorities to issue Letters of Marque to let privateers operate legally against French merchant shipping. Pembroke came to this opinion of what should be done following a lengthy chat with the Vizconde Carlos de Hijosdalgo, the Viceroy of the Spanish Netherlands’s ambassador to England. Chatham *Off Chatham at the mouth of the Thames a Spanish-flagged squadron of three cruisers escorting three liners attempted to sail up the river but were prevented from doing so by the White Division of the English Home Fleet (of seven ship of the line and three auxiliaries). Rear-Admiral Revering hailed the Spaniards, warning that should they attempt to proceed they would be fired upon. The Spanish had already dipped their colours to the English, and now their sailors stood to attention along the sides while an impromptu band played 'God Save the King'. Guns were certainly not run out, but despite this inoffensive stance, Revering repeated that they may not pass! Reluctantly the Spanish brought their ships about and sailed off into the English Channel. Stavuchanak *Prince Racovita of Moldavia has visited Stavuchanak where His Highness attended a special mass at the Cathedral of Saint Basil the Great during which 1,000 new priests were consecrated. They will shortly be dispersed to parishes across Moldavia. Metropolitan Basil of Jassy preached a sermon celebrating this new strengthening of the dissemination of the pure Moldavian rite. His words were listened to benignly by the congregation. In the public square on to which the cathedral faces Hopsdar Racovtia gave alms to the new priests and in a brief and modest address said that he hoped they would bear in mind what the Metropolitan had said, and that 'you have all learned from Father Simion the importance of spreading the true understanding of the Gospel amongst the congregations of our people.' Vienna *The French notables in Vienna have been permitted into the Austrian court where the Empress Eleonor laid on a ball to welcome them. The Duke d'Anjou seemed disappointed to find that the Emperor was not here in person since he desires to make his acquaintance. Jassy *Great Chancellor Nicolaie Cantemir of Moldavia has given his annual state-of-the-nation assessment, remarking that once again the living standards and morale of the whole nation have risen under the enlightened leadership of the Hopsdar Prince, and yet more prestigious and productive building programmes have been brought to fruition, 'all helping to elevate Moldavia to its rightful and rising standing amongst the nations of the Earth.' Smolensk *The 2nd Russian Army (Army of the Dvina) marched into Smolensk to a warm welcome fit for heroes. This army has played a pivotal role in securing Russian expansion in the Baltic. Moscow *The annual celebration of Epiphany was marked by Tsar Piotr swimming in the Moscow River and being blessed by the Great Patriach. Following the swim in the river, holy mass was held in St. Basil's, after which a shivering Tsar gave this address: "I am pleased to announce that Russia has for the last couple of years enjoyed close relations with France. The link between Moscow and Versailles has been growing stronger and I believe to the benefit of both nations. I have heard that France has declared war on England, so it is only right to declare that Russia, through a sense of honour, declares its consideration of France as an ally – an arrangement which should be formally binding through a treaty of mutual defence and friendship in the coming months." Rome *Cardinal Alphonso, Bishop of Madrid and Count Monterrey, Grand Chamberlain of Spain have wined and dined several cardinals at the Vatican. It soon became apparent to their Italian guests that Spain intends to support the prince-bishops in the Holy Roman Empire, and will not turn to the sword over King Charles' claim to the throne of Portugal but will instead show Catholic and Iberian brotherhoodliness to King Pedro II. They are also pressing for the ratification of the appointment of the Archbishop of Mexico City as a cardinal and as Primate of the Americas, and of the Archbishop of Manila as a cardinal and Primate of Asia, and finally the Bishop of Toledo as Primate of Iberia? Calais *King Louis XIV of France hosted a ball at a loyal nobleman's manor at Calais to celebrate the Jacobite raid on the Thames. During this celebration His Most Christian Majesty praised the actions of the crews involved as well as the leadership of the most senior captain present, Captain Claude Chabot. The King has promoted Chabot to the rank of Contre-Admiral, also granting him the rank of Marquis and the office of Prefect of Calais. Officially the Prince of Conde takes the credit for the success of the raid, and he has been made an Officier l'Ordre de Saint-Michel. His Highness was also informed by his grateful monarch that he will be commanding the newly built invasion escort fleet when it leaves for England, with the assistance of the newly promoted Prefect of Calais. Adrianople *Bey Yegen Pasha of Ottoman Rumelia has been overseeing the renovation of the historic and renowned Selimiye Mosque in Adrianople. This mosque was originally commissioned by Sultan Selim II and was built by architect Mimar Sinan between 1568 and 1574. It was considered by Sinan to be his masterpiece and is one of the highest achievements of Islamic architecture. This grand mosque stands at the centre of a külliye (a complex consisting of a hospital, school, library and baths). In this mosque Sinan employed an octagonal supporting system that is created through eight pillars incised in a square shell of walls. The four semi-domes at the corners of the square behind the arches that spring from the pillars, are intermediary sections between the huge encompassing dome and the walls. Surrounded by the four tallest minarets in the Muslim world, the Mosque of Selim II has a grand dome atop it (larger than that of the Hagia Sophia). Around the rest of the mosque were many additions: libraries, schools, hospices, baths, soup kitchens for the poor, markets, hospitals, and a cemetery. These annexes were aligned axially and grouped, if possible. In front of the mosque sits a rectangular court with an area equal to that of the mosque. The innovation however, comes not in the size of the building, but from the organisation of its interior. While conventional mosques were limited by a segmented interior, Sinan's effort at Adrianople was a structure that made it possible to see the mihrab from any location within the mosque. The mihrab is pushed back into an apse-like alcove with a space with enough depth to allow for window illumination from three sides. This has the effect of making the tile panels of its lower walls sparkle with natural light. The amalgamation of the main hall forms a fused octagon with the dome-covered square. Formed by eight massive dome supports, the octagon is pierced by four half-dome covered corners of the square. The beauty resulting from the conformity of geometric shapes engulfed in each other was the culmination of Sinan's life long search for a unified interior space. Lisbon *At Riberia Palace the Cortez of Portugal has begun its annual session. Without too much bother the gentlemen quickly agreed to a reduction in the tax levied against the nobles, reducing it from 5% to 3%. It was said by some deputies present that they hoped to live to see the day when trade had become so profitable and enough bullion was mined to ensure that taxation of any kind levied against the nobles became a thing of the dim distant past. Constantinople *Ottoman Grand Vizier Amcazade Huseyin of Anatolia has viewed the exercises being undergone by the Ottoman 1st Army as well as by the Istanbul Squadron. He appeared surprised therefore to find that the latter ships were actually in dry dock where they are being refitted, but the confusion melted away once he realised that these, along with the Africa Squadron, had been ordered to be coppered. At the yard he also saw the 11 ship of the line of the Fleet of Andros, a recent addition to the Navy who will also soon undergo being copper-bottomed. El Escorial *Spain's Minister for Trade Seymour Semon has wondered whether foreign traders in the Maritime region would not favour trade with Spain over French and English ports due to the lower risk of bombardment, blockade, bread riots, and of being pressganged! He claims that even some English-American merchants are now sending colonial cargo to Spain rather than risk the attentions of Jean Bart and his fellows while trying to make it back to London. Bristol To the absolute shock of those watching from the Chapel for Sailors in Distress, the Duke of Berwick has landed at Bristol unopposed and, with his troops still disembarking, went to see the mayor, Francis Whitchurch. Mayor Whitchurch was then sent to London carrying on his person France's peace terms for the perusal of Parliament (a copy has also been published in this journal at the behest of the French royal government for all to read!). The French forces seized the various facilities of the city, namely the HWIC's trade office, the aforementioned chapel, and the various mills of the Bristol Side Arms Company. However, after discussions between French officers and Mister Frederick Taylor of the latter company all these places were released to carry on their normal business and so remain in civilian hands. Iroqouis lands A French diplomatic mission has reached the lands of the Five Nations of the Iroqouis people and presented a treaty for their perusal. People being Much Admired by the Best in Société *The Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I *Mihail Racovita, Hospdar Prince Of Moldavia *Lord Yea Of The Shantung Province Of The Heavenly Celestial Manchu Empire *Cardinal Portocarrero Of The Council Of State, Bishop Of Toledo, King Of Spain’S Treasurer *King Louis Xiv Of France, The Sun King *Maharaj-Prince Shrimant Rajaram Of The Maharatas *Roger Martel Of The Honourable West India Company, Spain’S Viceroy Of Africa *King Thalun Toungoo Of Burma Shipping Lists: Being a Reporte on Knowne Shipping Movements *England's 1st Baltic Fleet commanded by Vice-Admiral Sir Percival Graves has set sail from Copenhagen. *Two English slaver ships have gone missing in the Ethiopian Sea. *The sloops Rascal and Vagabond have departed Charlotte Amalie and the waters of St. Thomas Isle accompanying a liner and headed out to sea under French colours. This squadron later entered the French harbour at Roseau, La Dominique. Lloyds Lists: Being a Reporte on Knowne Shipping Losses from Causes Unknowne or Knowne *None. Ambassadorial Appointments *Sent by Portugal to the Swiss Cantons, Fernandes Tomás. *Shantung China closed its embassy to Burma, recalling the incumbent ambassador Chen Zhi Hui. Trade Missions Opened *By Russia in Divonye, Baku, Tbilsi, Sinope, and a second trade office in Constantinople (with each the Russians also opened a covered market). *By Genoa in Naples and Vienna. *By Shantung China in Paris. *By Portugal in Sao Salvador and Diu. *By Ottoman Anatolia in Ancona, Azov, Astrakhan, and Kharkov (and with the latter three the Turks have also opened a covered market). *Shantung China has closed its trade mission office at Macao. Automatically parsed by LGDRParser v1.0 Category:Game 7